


Attack at Mount Justice

by mielipieli



Series: The Inexplicable Events of Mount Justice [5]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Dick gets beaten up, Gen, he's just trying to protect the kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-25 03:01:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13825092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mielipieli/pseuds/mielipieli
Summary: There's a hit out on Blue Beetle and Dick is worried. Turns out he was right.





	Attack at Mount Justice

**Author's Note:**

> I mentioned this fanfic in a previous one's notes. Turns out I couldn't settle on an ending and now I just wrote a few more lines that at least make it feel like an end.

Dick had nervously checked the security cameras every ten minutes. There was a hit out for Blue Beetle. A few of the younger team members including Blue Beetle, Wonder Girl, Beast Boy and Impulse had met up at the cave today. Dick had come to the cave after one of his alarms had caused a notification to appear on his phone.

He didn’t know whether anyone would be stupid enough to come to the cave but he didn’t want to risk it. Especially since no one was available. There were natural disasters, villain attacks and a few deep space missions going on. So now Dick was sitting in the cave about twenty meters for the others and trying to ignore that they knew something was up. 

Cassie had glanced at him every few seconds and Beast Boy was more hyperactive than usually. Only Impulse and Blue Beetle seemed just as calm as on any other day. However, Dick suspected Impulse knew more than he was letting on. He always had a tendency of playing dumb. 

Dick opened the tabs showing everything outside of the cave. Was that… That was orange. Fuck, why Deathstroke?

Dick jumped up: “We’re going to be under attack. We need to get out of here.”

The four kids looked around and realized he was completely serious. 

“Come on, let’s move! The zeta tubes!”

They were halfway to the door when a loud bang sounded throughout the building and the power went off. 

“Damn it! Beast Boy! You know the emergency tunnels, right?”, Dick asked as calmly as possible.

Gar looked at him with wide eyes: “Yes.”

“You guys are going through them. Then you’re going to the nearest zeta tube and going to the Watchtower.”

“What about you?”, Cassie asked relatively matter of fact.

“I’m locking the cave down after you.”

They seemed to hesitate. No one liked leaving a team member behind but they would never get away without someone holding Slade back. 

“Get the fuck out!”

They turned and ran and Dick took a deep breath. He would have maybe one minute in total until Deathstroke broke the security system, so he’d better make it count:  
Honestly, Dick had no idea how Slade had even managed to blow their generator - or whatever else had caused the blackout - but luckily their backup generator was still on. It had turned on a few seconds ago and all emergency lights had gone back on. Unfortunately it wasn’t powerful enough for the Zeta tubes. 

Dick locked down all emergency exits once he could be sure the kids were through. Then he typed an emergency signal on his holo computer describing the situation as accurately as possible, sent it to the Watchtower and opened up the lockdown for the garage gates, which Deathstroke seemed to be headed for. 

Since Dick had to hold him in here after he realized the kids weren’t and until they were in safety, he could only use the lockdown when Deathstroke was in here with him. He had briefly considered making him think they were inside and he was simply locked out. The danger of Slade realizing that they weren’t in here and heading somewhere where Dick had no hopes of stopping him from getting Blue Beetle or him getting in here and turning around without Dick being able to lock him in since the mechanism wouldn’t work again was too high. 

Dick held his hand over the button and walked towards the garage from the living room. He stood just out of sight from most of the garage and behind the door as he heard the garage door slide open. He could hear the heavy steps - Slade wasn’t trying to be stealthy - and counted to ten until he pressed the button on his screen. Then Dick took a deep breath and stepped through the doorway. 

“Hello, Richard”, Slade said in that calm voice that always had Dick on edge. 

“Hello, Slade”, he said hoping his fear wasn’t too obvious. 

Dick knew he wouldn’t win this fight.

“You know why I’m here.”

“You’re not going to fulfill your contract.”

He could only hold on long enough for the others to get to the Watchtower or help to arrive.

“You’re not going to win this fight.”

“I don’t have to.”

He really hoped he wouldn’t die today. 

Dick decided to pull out his escrima sticks and charge. When he was he had run four of the ten meters, Slade was already ready for his attack. At six he was starting the counter attack with his sword. At ten Dick slid right through and under to the twelve meter mark. He jumped up and turned just in time to block what would otherwise have ended in being sliced in half. 

Dick went for a punch to Slade’s side and ducked to the side just in time for something not to happen. He didn’t really have the time to see what because a knee hit his stomach. Dick fell and rolled out of the danger zone. He jumped up and ignored the nausea. There was a sword coming for his face. Dick ducked and kicked. His foot connected with something. There was a surprised groan and then Dick’s leg was stabbed. 

He blinked through the sharp pain as the knife was ripped out directly and Dick was left to stumble backwards. Slade stood still and let him catch his breath:

“We can stop right now if you tell me where Blue Beetle is, Richard.”

“No way”, Dick said and carefully put some weight on his leg. It was painful but it would carry him. 

Slade sighed - probably rolled his eye under his mask - and attacked. 

Block. Punch. Block. Block. Kick. Punch. Cut. Move back. Block. Punch. Punch. Hit. Breathe. Duck. Duck. Block. Duck. Block. Punch. Cut. Cut. Move! Punch. Block block duck block. Punch. Cut. 

Dick moved back and tried to catch his breath. Slade leaned on his sword. He knew Dick wasn’t going to make this long. Dick was already getting dizzy and Slade didn’t seem to be trying very hard. To be quite honest if Slade had really been trying, Dick would have been out after ten seconds. There was something more going on here. 

“What are you playing at, Slade?”, Dick asked and felt a sharp pain in his ribs with every word. 

Instead of answering Slade charged at Dick. He barely managed to block the sword with his escrima sticks and Slade kept the pressure on, forcing Dick to stay in his hardly defensible position. He knew the leg was coming but was unable to stop himself from falling. Before Dick hit the floor, Slade caught his arm, twisted it painfully on Dick’s back and put his knee on his lower back with the pressure being located right on his spine. 

For a moment Dick’s entire mind blanked, pain from his injuries and the hold coming together. When he regained his senses, Dick knew he wasn’t even going to be trying to move. 

Then Slade’s voice sounded eerily close to his ear: “I know where he lives. I know where he goes to school. If I really wanted to, don’t you think I would have chosen a better place to attack than the one practically guaranteeing interference?”

Slade went quiet for a bit as if he was actually waiting for an answer.

“I have my reasons for this but you’d better make sure the boy is protected. Someone will try again.”

Dick felt Slade’s head move away. He resisted the urge to vomit as a wave of nausea came up.

“So tell me, Nightwing. Where’s Blue Beetle?”

Dick blinked a couple of times. His brain wasn’t reacting to him. Someone had to be watching. Slade wouldn’t have been audible while whispering and this was definitely for show. 

Dick did his best to smile even though his body seemed to be hating him right now: “He’ll be in the Watchtower. Good luck getting him there.”

The elbow (?) hit his head without any warning. 

\------------

“Nightwing? Kid, can you hear me?”, a somewhat familiar voice seemed to say.

Dick was kind of conscious. He groaned to make sure whoever was there knew that. He didn’t really want to move anything just yet.

“Supes and I just got here. He’s working to get the generator running so we can use the Zeta tube to get you to the Watchtower. You don’t have to move.”

Dick was pretty sure that voice was Barry’s. Flash. Those two were the fastest members of the league. There was a rush of air. 

“The generator should turn on in a couple of minutes.” That was Clark’s voice. “How is he?”

Dick groaned. 

“That good?”, somehow the sarcasm carried an air of sympathy. 

Dick carefully blinked his eyes open. The light burned but it would help calm Clark and Barry’s worries. 

“Any back injuries or other reasons we shouldn’t turn you on your back?”, Barry asked forever the scientist. 

“Don’t think so”, Dick’s voice sounded rough but at least the contents of his stomach stayed there.

“Brace yourself.”

Dick hissed and pressed his eyes closed as pain took over his senses once more.

“All good”, he yelped when he had caught his breath enough to do so. 

“You don’t look very good”, Clark said with the perception of an investigative journalist. 

\------------

Dick didn’t actually think he was in that bad of a state after a few more minutes:

His head and shoulder pounded, he was bruised all over, his ribs were definitely bruised, he ached, his right thigh had been stabbed and he had numerous cuts. But all in all he could breathe and had managed to sit up with some help - that had been accompanied by frowns. 

When the lights finally turned back on, Clark moved to lift him up but Dick shook his head: “With some help I think I’ll be able to walk.”

Those were two pairs of eyes rolling. 

Clark sighed: “You know it would be way easier for me to carry you?”

“...fine.”

“1… 2… 3…”

All of the blood left Dick’s face as he was lifted up and the entire world spun. To be quite honest he probably wouldn’t have been able to hold up even ten percent of his weight. He dug his fingers into Clark’s costume and pressed his face against the fabric. 

In… Out… Don’t pass out. In… Out… Don’t vomit. In… Out… Don’t whimper. In… Out…

“Dick?”, Clark asked quietly as he came to a stop. “We’re going to go through the Zeta tube now. There should already be someone with a gurney but there’s probably going to be other people as well. Is that alright?”

Dick tried to nod without lifting his head. Clark seemed to understand because the rollercoaster ride started once more.

Dick was vaguely aware of the announcement but mostly he just felt an overwhelming amount of nausea. He tried to push it down. He knew his breaths were too fast. 

“Concentrate on me.” Clark’s voice was quiet and calm and Dick realized they were standing still. 

There were rhythmic and calm chest movements and he mirrored them as well as he could. Slowly, the nausea ebbed away. 

After a few more seconds Clark spoke once more: “I’m going to put you down on the gurney now, okay?”

“Okay”, Dick answered and his voice was weaker than he had hoped. 

He was laid down and quickly drifted off through both the rhythmic movement and - most likely - blood loss.

\------------

“Batman - 02”, the Zeta tube voice announced into the Watchtower.

Barry, Clark and Oliver were currently talking quietly in one corner of the hall while Gar, Bart, Cassie and Jaime were sitting in another. Batman stepped out of the Zeta tube with large, heavy steps and walked toward the adults. 

“Why wasn’t I called immediately?”, he bellowed and Gar flinched slightly. 

Superman raised his hands: “Batman, calm down. Nightwing’s alright. We didn’t want to take you away from your other responsi…”

“I do not understand how you can even think you have the right to prioritise on my behalf! This is my son we’re talking about!”

Superman’s face softened: “I know. I’m sorry. There was a lot going on. He’s asleep right now. Nothing life threatening. A stab wound in his leg, a minor concussion and a few cuts and bruises.”

All of the air and heat left Batman. A loud, deeply relieved sigh escaped his mouth: “He’s in the infirmary?”

Superman nodded and Batman exited the room with quick steps. 

Green Arrow whistled: “Hell hath no fury like a Batman scorned.”

\----------------

The next time Dick was actually aware of anything must have been hours later because all of his wounds had been treated and he was hooked up to multiple machines. There also seemed to be a pretty heavy flow of painkillers happening because there was no clear thought forming in his mind - there was also no pain but that was beside the point.

Dick carefully opened one eye and immediately shut it again. The light was bright and made his head pound through whatever was blocking out all other pain. Dick saw the light go down through his lids.

“Hey, chum! How are you feeling?”

Dick gave a thumbs up without opening his eyes again. 

Bruce chuckled: “That would look more convincing if your pulse hadn’t spiked from moving your arm.”

Dick opened an eye to give Bruce an unimpressed look. 

“What exactly happened?”

“The Light put out a hit on Blue Beetle. Deathstroke took it. He didn’t really seem to want to fulfill it, though.” Dick felt the worry on his own face.

“We’ll figure it out, Dick. You just relax and heal, okay?”

Dick nodded and closed his eyes again. He really wanted to sleep.


End file.
